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The World Bank has approved a $3.6 million grant for Eastern Visayas, particularly in Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar, Northern Samar and Eastern Samar.

The said funds from the Global Partnership on Output-Based Aid aims to give women greater access to delivery, as well as pre- and post-natal care services through the four-year project which will be implemented by NGO Population Services Pilipinas Incorporated and the Marie Stopes International Australia. Moreover, one of the objectives of the project is to reduce the incidence of maternal deaths by 2015.

According to a statement released by the World Bank, over 700,000 women and 145,000 poor families will benefit from the said grant.

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) reports that Eastern Visayas experiences 92 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births, just in 2010 alone.

Said Motoo Konishi, “This output-based aid scheme supports the new government’s reform agenda to achieve universal access to health care. The project also makes access to quality health services affordable through the subsidized voucher component and more inclusive by explicitly targeting the poor.”